Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-18
DEATH FOLLOWED FAST.
THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF THE
CREW OF A LAKE STEAMER.

She Takes Fire in a Raging Gale and Is
Reached the Breakwater and Her Crew
Was saved-Great Cotton Fire at Mem
phis-Loss, $4,000.
MARQUETTE, Mich, Nov. 10 The heaviest
marine loss of the season occurred here
Thursday in the total destruction by fire of
the steamer Arizona, owned by the Anchor
Line, and for several years past in the regu-
lar Lake Superior trade, running in the Lake
Superior Transit line. She left here Wednes-
day night for Portage lake, but thirty miles
up was forced back by bowling nor'wester
and a terrific sea, the Nyack also being
forced to return. When a few miles OF
Marquette, at about a. M, carboy of
acid from among those slowed between
decks broke loose and was broken by the roll
ing and pitching of the vessel 1t was filled
with the mixed acid used i'll making nitro
glycerine, and the space between decks was
Immediately filled with acrid, sitting fumes
Soon these penetrated every nook and corner
of the ship, and shortly it was discovered
that the vessel was on fire,
Capt Grazer encouraged his crew to hang
on as long as possible, all being almost suffo-
Gated. The men in the fire-holds piled fuel
into the furnaces, keeping it up until they
had to make rush for the deck gasping for
air. The engineer stood by his post until he,
too, found it more than flesh could stand.
Then he pulled the throttle wide open and
rushed to the upper deck for his life Here
then were gathered the twenty three men
manning the Arizona. A boat was made
ready on the windward side, out of the fumes
OF the acid. and then all waited to see
whether the ship would make the harbor or
whether they would have to take the desper-
ate chance Of launching a boat in such a sea-
A binding snowstorm was driving across
the lake at the time, and stung like needles.
On went the steamer with not a man be-
low decks and with two men at the wheel
Meanwhile the fire below decks was spreading
rapidly, the closely battened gangways and
matches imprisoning it, and no flames being
seen, but the pressure of the volcano beneath
| was manifest from the dense clouds of vel
| low, sulphurons smoke from the acids, and
the thick clouds from the burning petroleum,
800 barrels Of which was on board. The
breakwater light of Marquette was finally
made, and the steamer swept around the end
yer soon determined upon his course OF action.
| No force could stop his runaway steamer.
| To save further destruction of property, he
determined to turn from the docks, where the
other vessels were lying, and head SQUARE
into the breakwater.
just then the red glare of the flames made
itself seen for the first time and as the re
Election went over the waters of the harbol
every steamer and every shop whistle began
to blow, and the city fire bell sounded a gen
eral alarm. The Chilli and Nyack, of the samt
line, called their crews on deck and lowered
their boats to aid the Arizona's crew Blinded
by the glare of the flames, Captain Grazer ye
managed to clear the Nyack, lying alongside
the breakwater, and struck that structure
| head on, putting over his wheel when tn,
crash came As she struck every man leapet
for his life and all reached the pier safely
Obedient still TO her rudder, the Arizona
stern worked slowly around to the right un
til her bow Was released, when she slid swiftly
up along the pier, smashed through 10.
boom, just grazing the huge lumber piles OF
the Curtis dock and in the narrow slip be
| yond, almost touching the city water work
building, and buried her bow in the sand
As she moved along the crew were forced tC
run for their lives to keep from being suffo
Gated in the dense cloud of smoke whicl
swept over the breakwater
Tugs and fire department were soon play
ing on the flames, but the oil burned fiercel,
all day, water having no effect Long afte
the smoke stack fell, the Arizona's wheel wa
stirring the shallow waters of the slip t.
foam At last venturesome men reached he
windward side by raft and managed t.
sink her by breaking in plank in her hull
The water was a shallow that the oil in he
forward hatch still burned, and at night tn
whole sky was lighted by the blaza
The loss will be fully $50, $50 The Ari
zona had on board large lot of roofing pa
per, merchandise, go barrels of oil, |, 70
boxes of candles, !, 200 barrels of cement,
lot Of machinery, and miscellaneous freight
As it was impossible to scuttle her until i
was too late she has become a total loss
nothing but a skin being left of her hull
The captain and crew did all in their powe
to save her, and are deserving of honor 70
their efforts, but the rolling Of the ship in tn
heavy sea scattered the terrible mixture fror
the carboy SO quickly and so generally tina
there was not even fighting chance for saw
ing the steamer, and they were lucky to 6
cape with their lives